


Love Language

by Sulluspark



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26888575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sulluspark/pseuds/Sulluspark
Summary: It took some time to get used to it. Leo had never considered himself touch-starved; he just wasn't one to seek contact all the time. Now, he was spoiled and couldn't imagine ever going without. A good morning kiss, a good-bye kiss, emotional hugs and hand-holding, cuddles in bed, cuddles while they were watching a movie, snogging while they waited for their food to finish cooking - it all became routine.Written for 2k20 Cressi Day, inspired by the prompt "contact"
Relationships: Lionel Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44
Collections: Cressi Day 2k20





	Love Language

**Author's Note:**

> this is a day late, oops. but I really wanted to participate in fun little events like this at least once, so I’ll just leave this here.

**Words of Affirmation**

Sunshine peaks through the cracks of the curtains, bathing the room in a soft golden glow. Leo grumbled, trying to turn himself to get just a few more seconds of sleep, but was stopped in his tracks by strong arms caging him to an equally strong body. Suddenly, he didn't feel so annoyed anymore, content to lay back against his boyfriend's chest and listen to the soft sounds of nature.

It didn't last long, as Cris began to stir not long after Leo had woken up himself, but that was just fine with the smaller man. He kept his eyes closed and breathing even as the other began to pull his arms back and disentangle them. The bed dipped as Cris got up - always the early riser - and Leo couldn't help the small smile that stretched across his face when the tall, powerful man purposely tried to keep his steps quiet in consideration for the "sleeping" man still in bed. 

While Cris' back was turned, trying to rummage quietly (and failing) through the closet for something to wear, Leo opened his eyes. He shamelessly admired his boyfriend's back muscles until the man put a shirt on. Leo pouted, a sight that Cris was greeted with when he turned around. He grinned, quickly making his way to Leo's side of the bed, back to his heavy gait now that he knew the smaller man was awake. 

"Good morning, querido," he said softly, planting a kiss on Leo's forehead which the man gladly accepted. "Did I wake you?"

"Mm. No, my body just decided it was time to wake up."

Cris smirked, still handsome despite his unflattering crouched position by the bedside. "That's too bad. You look cute when you're sleeping."

"Are you saying I'm not cute any other time?"

"Of course not." He didn't even hesitate. "You just look _especially_ cute when you're sleeping. I mean, the way your hair gets all messy and your mouth opens when you drool-" 

"Okay, okay!" Leo scowled, moving to get up. "You can go now. Do whatever you do in the morning."

Chuckling, Cris straightened up. "We'll have breakfast when I get back from my run. You better not still be in bed by the time I get back!"

Leo simply waved him off, but Cris smiled. Mornings like these were the best.

And later, when they were snuggling and back in bed again, Leo would shiver as Cris whispered sweet nothings into his skin. Things like "I'm the luckiest man in the world" and, of course, the most important one: "I love you," the words that would follow him to sleep.

**Physical Touch**

It didn't take Leo very long to realize that Cris was very... _touchy_. Before they started dating, he never missed an opportunity to put a hand on Leo's lower back, his shoulder, his arm. His smile always seemed to shine brighter after shaking hands with Leo and it always felt like it lasted a bit too long to be just friendly (and yes, Leo _had_ tested that against the other Real Madrid players and none of them ever hung on for that long - in fact, most pulled away after a second and Leo tried not to take offense to that).

Though most ( _ahem_ , his teammates) would argue that it was just for the cameras or it was just for the game - you're his rival and a pretty good player, after all - Leo refused to believe it. There was something more to those touches, he was sure of it!

Well, Leo ended up being half right and half wrong. There _did_ end up being something more, a question turning into a confession, which eventually resulted in a date and then two - until finally they worked it out between themselves and were "officially" dating (though Cris would argue it didn't quite happen like that). 

_"Cris, what are we?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I mean: are we dating? Friends with benefits? Just friends who go on dates?"_

_If possible, the taller man looked even more bewildered. "We've_ been _dating."_

_"What? Since when? And why wouldn't you tell me this?!"_

_"Since like the third date, Leo! The one where I literally told that reporter we were a power couple! I thought you knew!"_

_"I thought you were just playing around to get him off our back!"_

Not the smoothest start, but hey, they got there eventually, right?

Anyway, although he'd been half right, Leo had still been half wrong, and that was because Cris was just plain touchy. He liked to hug his friends and family, pat his teammates' backs or ruffle their hair (no, Leo was _not_ jealous of James, where did you get that idea), and _definitely_ cuddle.

If Leo thought he was touchy before, he was triple that now that they were dating. Whether it was small touches to Leo's arm to remind him he was there, accidental grazes when they had to navigate a small space and bumped into each other (though some of them may have been intentional, on both sides), or grand gestures like hand holding that probably meant little to him but the world to Leo. 

It took some time to get used to it. Leo had never considered himself touch-starved; he just wasn't one to seek contact all the time. Now, he was spoiled and couldn't imagine ever going without. A good morning kiss, a good-bye kiss, emotional hugs and hand-holding, cuddles in bed, cuddles while they were watching a movie, snogging while they waited for their food to finish cooking - it all became routine.

And Leo couldn't be more grateful for his paranoid tendencies that lead him here.

**Quality Time**

It was cute, really. Cris loved his boyfriend. Some people called him the flea, and Cris would have to agree, but only in the best way.

You see, Leo was clingy. If he was perfectly comfortable in bed with Cris' warmth staving off the cold, he would attach himself and not let go (and Cris would feel bad prying himself away). If he was feeling lost, confused, or had nothing to do, he would follow Cris wherever he went. If Cris was distracted and he wanted his attention, he would annoy him (in his own way, of course, because he could never be outright annoying and so he ended up being passive aggressive or subtle - Cris would honestly prefer him to just get mad) until he got it.

So like a flea. 

Cris would never call him that, of course, not even affectionately (though he had to catch himself sometimes), but he'd gained a new appreciation for the nickname. Leo himself didn't seem particularly bothered by it, but Cris had so many better nicknames that were more flattering.

Still, no matter how much he complained (Leo says he's just being dramatic), he did love these moments with his boyfriend. Moments where it was just the two of them in the world, spending time together and relishing in each other - it was divine. With their schedules as busy as they were, finding time for each other was like finding a needle in a haystack. 

These moments spent with each other were, quite literally, miracles, and both cherished them. While time with each other in the public eye was still quality time spent with each other, it was just a different experience knowing there were eyes on them to witness their relationship. 

Leo didn't have to say anything most of the time. Cris could tell he craved the quiet moments shared between themselves alone and he would gladly indulge him.

**Giving Gifts**

Ask any of their teammates and they would say Cris and Leo were two peas in a pod. 

Cris loved to shower Leo in gifts - anything from teddy bears, to a new mug, to his own CR7 merch (tacky, Pique would comment). Leo would be embarrassed to receive them, of course, especially the very expensive ones, but he couldn't deny that some of the blush was because he was flattered. Fortunately, Cris preferred gift-giving to be a private affair (otherwise Leo would have died by now from the mortification), though there were some gifts that "warranted" a public performance.

Leo, in return, showed his appreciation for the gifts by hoarding them. His room was filled with trinkets, both small and large, with many more sitting in storage or crammed into a drawer. He couldn't let go of even the smallest, simplest things that you could get anywhere, simply because Cris had given it to him.

His teammates would shake their heads and say, "Leo, you're being ridiculous," but he never allowed their thoughts to sway his opinion or his habits. 

And so it went, their room slowly but surely being filled up by Cris' own gifts. Thankfully, the man himself didn't mind his space being encroached upon, happy that Leo enjoyed his gifts as much as he loved giving them.

So he continued giving gifts and Leo continued to allow it to pile up. They would have to get rid of some eventually (Cris was not looking forward to Leo's reaction to _that_ ), but that's a problem for another day.

**Acts of Service**

Cris was stressed. It came with the territory, but some days he wanted to do nothing but just curl back up in bed and sleep and forget everything for a while. Unfortunately, days where that was plausible were few and far between, and on those particularly bad days, Cris couldn't have been more grateful for Leo's presence in his life. 

The quiet man always knew just what he needed - Cris didn't even have time to speak before he was deposited on the couch in front of the TV and presented with the remote. There were no words necessary during the whole interaction, and it was such a break from what was usually expected from him that he couldn't bring himself to argue. He just sank into the couch, accepted the steaming mate placed into his hand, and allowed himself to relax. Just for a bit.

Of course, he'd feel guilty later about having Leo do his work for him and offer to make it up to him, but Leo would always adamantly refuse. And while Cris could be stubborn, Leo was on another level when he actually cared enough to be.

"You pamper me a lot. It's my turn," and "Cris, just let me do this. Please."

The man would sigh and say, "Fine."

And that was that. Cris would always comfort himself with the fact that this would be the last time, he wouldn't ask or need help for any other reason, but it would happen again eventually and he would lose the argument with Leo every time.

Sometimes, when he had that look in his eye (like something was weighing heavily on his mind, as Leo described), the shorter man wouldn't hesitate to grab him by the temples and force him to look down at him, snapping him out of it. 

"Stop it. I know what you're doing, but it's okay, Cris. It's okay to be weak, especially in front of me. That's what I'm here for, isn't it?"

Everything would crumble at those words, a weight lifted partially off his shoulders, shared with his partner in everything. 

He smiled, thoughts already floating away into happier ones, ones of Leo. Like how utterly cute he was with that serious face while standing on his tip-toes.


End file.
